CARDINALS CORNER
Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray leading through his frustrations
TEMPE — In the moment, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was noticeably frustrated with the way he and the rest of the team performed in a Week 1 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The loss still weighed on his mind Wednesday. It’s not the standard he has for himself, nor the organization.
Sure, the Cardinals have gotten better each season with Murray at the helm, but it’s still nowhere near what he’s used to doing on the football field.
And while he can’t do it all, it’s on him to teach up his teammates and get them in the best position to win.
“Closed mouths don’t get fed,” Murray said Wednesday. “That’s how I see it. Anyway, I can give my energy and give my mental to a young guy or somebody that maybe not be doing the right things then I’ve got to do it.
“Certain people take stuff a certain way,” the QB added when asked about what he’s learned about leading different personalities. “Some people can’t handle it. Some people can. If you’re sensitive in that time and place, we probably shouldn’t talk right now, and that’s just kind of how it is.”
Murray went 22-of-34 for 193 yards, two touchdowns and 29 rushing yards in the Week 1, 44-21 loss to the Chiefs. It was far from keeping pace with Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes.
But head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who has seen Murray’s approach in action since he entered the NFL as a No. 1 pick in 2019, said the quarterback is doing a much better job of talking through things and not letting his frustrations get the best of him when games don’t go his way.
It’s yet another big step in Murray’s development, in Kingsbury’s eyes.
And after that Week 1 loss, it’s definitely needed.
“He’s gone out and he knows it starts with him,” Kingsbury added. “The organization made it abundantly clear that he’s the face of the franchise and everything’s going to go through you and we’ve got to get better.
“I definitely sensed that he felt that out there [Wednesday] — his presence, the way he was making corrections and wanting plays over again that weren’t right. He’s taking ownership of it.”
